A lifestyle change took place when we moved to our smallholding in Wales, we are leaving behind the consumerism of life, growing our food, raising our meat, living our lives to the full, enjoying every day the highs and lows of country living, but not going without just doing it better.

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Sunday, 5 July 2015

Time For A New Venture

I showed you yesterday that Martin was building some new accommodation in the field,

the shed is now occupied all part of new venture

This morning we drove over to pick up these

2 Red Bourbon turkey poults and 10 Norfolk Bronze turkey poults.

I reserved them just over a month ago when they were still in there eggs, although the big one on the right is a bit older than the others, I have been updated on there progress from when they first pipped there eggs, they have been off heat for over a week now and are nice and sturdy little things.

They will be raised for the Christmas table and depending on how it goes I might keep a trio for future batches.

While Martin was putting finishing touches to there run this afternoon I took up the last of potatoes from the tunnel, I needed the space, the potatoes were only half a dozen small runts left over from planting in the main bed.

I took up 15lb this afternoon we have already had about 5lb so not a bad harvest from runts

I worked out it would have cost about £10 to buy them from the shop

I also picked some more courgettes we are having them roasted in our own rendered lard with some beetroot that I also picked

the leaves I shall wilt in the pan after I have fried the pheasant breasts we are having, the pheasant Martin picked up as road kill, all served with new potatoes a very cheap meal that has cost just pence.

Just about to pick our first courgettes and chard, and if I had done so today, then we would have been eating all our own produce, except for the potatoes we had with the meal because we didn't grow any this year! Good luck with the turkeys.

I like beetroot leaves, I always use the thinnings in a salad.. I don't mind a bit of road kill either, after all if it's good enough for Huge Fearlessly Eatsitall, then it is good enough for me. The Bl**dy slugs wiped out most of my courgette plants, but I managed to cadge a couple more. I wish you joy with your turkeys, I could not eat them if I was paid.

Your garden is much more productive than mine, although I am picking raspberries and gooseberries now.

I am almost tidy in the house (but NOT the garden) prior to going back on the market. Would you and Pam like to come over towards the end of the week - Thurs or Friday? It would be nice to have you here before my Paul's Himalayan Musk goes over (or dies, as Next Door has seen fit to spray it on his side with something which is probably ROUNDUP . . . I have cut back and pray it won't die).